There are times, despite your best efforts, that starting over is the only option. Your mind has covered every angle. Your heart breaks with each fresh review of the “facts”. There’s no sign of things changing for the better, and your creative inspiration is as dried up as a stale cracker.
If things are looking (and feeling) charred and burned, succumb to sweet surrender. It’s the first step to opening your heart for change.
But once you do, can you let things flow to find peace with all aspects of your choice?
The New Starting Line Can Look Blurry or Non-Existent
Starting over is one of the hardest decisions, especially when there’s barely a glimmer in the distance about what’s next. The support ladder feels rickety, your surroundings, pitch dark.
While the thought of a blank canvas can be overwhelming, part of what you are feeling is the vast opening of choice. Allowing yourself to leave something behind and open up to the “invisible” can feel scary and unstable. It also creates a powerful gap of freedom that the mind feels it needs to fill as soon as possible.
This is the most important time to have faith in yourself and the choice you’ve made to step into the dark unknown. Be mindful of the inner voice that tells you to run back to a “stale cracker existence” at high speed before the newness of a more expansive energy even has a chance to settle in.
Talking Yourself out of Creative Change
There are so many ways to talk yourself out of creative change, especially when leaving behind the familiar. The inner voice can start bubbling up, bringing old hurts and fears to your attention even though you thought they were dead and buried. You can also feel physically different, like you are foggy, sluggish or a bit disconnected. At times, the decision to start over helps you jump right into energy that’s refreshing and clear at first, only to feel challenges a few days later.
All of these reactions are normal. They are part of moving into a new energetic pattern mentally, physically and spiritually. See them as stones on the path towards creating something more in alignment with what you really want.
Let thoughts bubble up — don’t force an expectation, action or timeline. The more pressure you put on yourself to run a marathon into a new life experience, the longer it will take you to feel comfortable with the most essential part of the creative change — living into knowing.
Glory Days Make Enticing Roadblocks
In the beginning stages of transition the mind can easily slip into reviewing the glory days, better known as the edited highlights of your life. It’s safe ground to retread as you are drawn back to things that felt good, hoping there’s a chance to relive or revive them. Yet, this version of events is heavily edited by your very powerful emotions and no longer rooted in the present.
If you find yourself falling into this pattern (and we all do it):
- Acknowledge you are getting caught in the past and forgive yourself
- Honor the past by expressing gratitude for the experience and the other people involved in whatever way feels right (not necessarily in person)
- Focus on something you can do in the present to shift your attention to the now
How to Be at Peace in the Midst of Starting Over
To ease into peace and away from the monkey mind takes a desire and willingness to stay in the present, no matter what emotions come up. This balancing act is at the core of the transition process and is what allows you to find a more supportive outlook and practice.
To shift your focus and keep energy flowing in your mind and heart:
- Meditate or lie in bed first thing in the morning when you wake up. Just sit, let thoughts flow in and out and see what insights or inspirations may have shown up in your dreams. Write down your initial thoughts before you get into the busy part of your day and lose them.
- Have a ready-made list of things you enjoy or always wanted to try and start focusing on them.
- Pick a consistent time each day to get moving. Whether it’s jamming to your favorite song or taking a long walk, your body will get used to moving and it will help open up your mind too.
- Spend time with animals through volunteering. There’s something about taking care of animals that can be very calming and different from helping people. No conversation required – just connect with the animal and be in the moment — exactly where you should be, and you get some comforting pets out of it too!
- Hand write letters of gratitude to people in your life you appreciate. It brings your focus on what is working.
- Cook or bake to get into the creative process and nourish yourself with something for the body at the same time.
Starting over may not be what you ordered, but choosing to be present through a big life change is the most powerful way to move past a cycle of behavior or thoughts that keep you from growing in new directions. Be kind to yourself and stay mindful of places in your life needs a bit of a make-over.
Want more insights on starting over? Check out my past posts on reframing creative hiccups to move forward with confidence and staying connected to your creative purpose. Moving through transition and need a bit of extra guidance? Connect with me for an intuitive reading.
Photo credit: Brian Vallelunga , Bart – listening Beth – peace sign